BYD records its biggest UK month as plug-in hybrids take off

BYD registered 20,129 new cars in the UK in September 2026, up 80% on the same month last year and its strongest month since arriving in 2023. That gave the brand 5.76% of the market and second place among car makers for the month.

BYD's September 2026 UK sales in numbers

September is always one of the two biggest months of the British year because of the new number plate, and 2026 was a strong one. SMMT's preliminary figures show 350,518 new cars registered, up 12.1% and the best September since 2017. Even so, BYD grew far faster than the market. An 80% rise means the brand sold roughly 9,000 more cars than in September 2025.

For context, BYD registered 21,337 cars in the whole of the first quarter of 2026, including 15,162 in March. September alone came close to that three-month total. Only the Chery group, which sells the Omoda, Jaecoo, Chery and Lepas brands, registered more among the Chinese makers, with 32,823 cars. You can read more on that in our report on how Chinese brands took 23% of the UK market in September.

How BYD compares with Chery and other Chinese rivals

The Chery group's 32,823 registrations were up 171% and gave it 9.36% of the market, putting it third among car groups. Of that total, Jaecoo contributed 15,055 cars. The Jaecoo 7 alone registered 10,813, enough to make it the UK's best-selling new car, as covered in our report on the Jaecoo 7 topping the chart again. Omoda added 7,241 and Chery 9,788. The difference is in the line-up. A single Jaecoo model makes up about a third of the Chery group total. BYD spreads its sales across a wider range of plug-in hybrid and electric cars.

The wider market also played to BYD's strengths. Fleet registrations rose 9.6% to 190,988, private sales were up 13.9%, and registrations by smaller businesses jumped 37.6%. Plug-in hybrids and electric cars carry low company-car tax, and that helps explain the appeal to business drivers.

Plug-in hybrids drive the growth

The headline story is BYD's DM-i plug-in hybrid range. Its best seller in September was the BYD Seal U DM-i, a family SUV that has topped the brand's chart for much of the year. In second place came the Atto 2. That small SUV launched as an electric car, and the Atto 2 DM-i plug-in hybrid version, added in June, has given it a much wider audience at a lower starting price.

The timing suits the wider market. Plug-in hybrids took a record 17% of UK registrations in September, with volumes up 55.7%. Conventional hybrids fell 4.2%. Buyers who are not yet ready for a fully electric car are moving to cars that can cover the daily commute on battery power, and BYD now has one of the broadest plug-in ranges on sale. Alongside the Seal U and Atto 2 it offers the Seal 6 DM-i saloon and estate and the Sealion 5 DM-i. Compare them with rivals in our guide to the best Chinese plug-in hybrids.

Electric cars: Sealion 7 and Seal stay strong

BYD did not rely on hybrids alone. The BYD Sealion 7 was its best-selling electric car and, according to SMMT, the third most-registered battery electric car in Britain in September. The BYD Seal saloon was fourth. Only the Tesla Model 3, which led with 9,929 registrations, and the Tesla Model Y were ahead.

That came in a record month for electric cars as a whole. Battery electric registrations rose 36.3% to 99,199, a 28.3% share. The government's Electric Car Grant and manufacturer discounts both helped. Electric cars, plug-in hybrids and hybrids together made up 58.4% of the market.

New models: Dolphin G DM-i, Ti 7 and Shark

More BYD models are on the way. The Dolphin G DM-i takes BYD's plug-in hybrid system into the supermini class. BYD says it took more than 500 orders soon after the car reached retailers. The seven-seat BYD Ti 7 DM-i SUV is not yet on sale, but the company reports strong pre-orders. The Shark DMO plug-in hybrid pick-up is also drawing interest from business and leisure buyers.

A bigger dealer network

Sales growth has followed a fast dealer expansion. BYD had 132 UK retail sites in April and set a target of 150 by the summer. It now has 147, so most buyers in Britain are within reach of a showroom and a service centre. In the spring, BYD UK's country manager, Bono Ge, said that value for money, style and technology appealed to both private and fleet buyers. He also said fluctuating fuel prices were prompting more drivers to look at electric and plug-in cars. See all BYD models for current UK prices.

What happens next for BYD in the UK

The final quarter brings a challenge for the whole industry. The ZEV mandate requires 33% of new car sales to be electric in 2026. The year-to-date share is 26.2%. SMMT estimates that about 265,000 more battery electric registrations are needed before the end of December to hit that level. BYD sells both electric and plug-in hybrid cars, so it can supply whichever technology buyers choose. In Europe, BYD is also looking at a French factory as its Hungarian plant begins production. See our report on BYD's plans in France and Hungary. Meanwhile, MG is still its closest Chinese rival among single brands. Browse the MG range to compare.